In the context of pandemic culture has gone online – a real exhibition of the life paralyzed. However, as it turned out, not everywhere. The artist Marina Zvyagintsev has found a way to make art project offline, which United the inhabitants of the village we podmoskovnogo. In the process of creating the art object “Together” was attended by about 70 people, never having met each other. It is symbolic that the core of the installation was the fence, which turned into art “matrix”: a puzzle of many pieces painted by local residents. Object with a length of 14 meters was the first real public art piece created in the context of the epidemic, and may have anticipated a new era in art.
Despite the easing of the isolation regime, the ban on mass events is maintained. It would seem that in such circumstances, to do art in public spaces is impossible. But no. The solution is found. It was invented by a leader of public art in Russia, artist Marina Zvyagintsev, who is now with family in the isolation in the village we, just 13 km from the capital. In creating a collective art project “Together!” was attended by about 70 people – each created a drawing on the piece of the puzzle that later became part of the unified fabric. The installation is on the fence, by which stroll all the locals.
the Village is situated on the banks of the river Pakhra. A small area along the landscaped and separated by a fence, that being said, others didn’t. In peacetime, the locals would gather there to talk, sitting on the bench, sports, and children played at the river court. Now all sites are closed, the people refused in a situation of forced alienation and loneliness. In these circumstances, contemporary art allowed them to feel United and to communicate with each other through creativity.
the Entire process of creating installation-the puzzle was invented so that not to violate the quarantine and precautions. Each participant courier brought one or more pieces of the future of the art object and transmitted through the contactless delivery. The unusual canvas of size 40 by 40 cm attached brush and a special paint – acrylic for exterior works. Just gave away 36 pieces. Each participant painted what they wanted – complete freedom of imagination.
for Example, Maria and Julia drew a Chinese gazebo, and added to the composition of the character – the desire of health. Maria some time working in China, so moved to the painting a personal experience. 13-year-old Valerie only watched as his family (a family of 11 people) wrote for public installations of his abstraction, where the sun dissolved in the water, but still felt the drive: “Cool! Have something quarantined to do!”. Really portrayed the whole SV��Yu family on the couch under a rainbow. And her neighbor-the namesake of the drew river Pahra, field and blue sky.
Some participants portrayed what I see outside the window, the other – their dreams and fantasies, and others – memories. For example, the Chairman of the Council of the settlement Oleg Sanaev, Amateur artist, wrote of the sunset sea. All the pictures were very different, yet logically formed into a single collective story. To focus turned out, Zvyagintsev left between the painted pieces of the puzzle, the empty cells where if should go to other parts of the mosaic. That is entered by the participants created paintings in a grid, as in conventional Board puzzle.
the Installation dragged on for 14 meters, but it plans to expand by another 20, because the villagers relished this art activity. Now other families want to contribute to a collective portrait and become part of the monument isolation. So in the next couple of months, the installation will grow more.
– here Comes the summer is the season for public art, which I do, but this year it obviously will not. Art has moved online, but this is not enough. People need real art, like real communication, – says Marina Zvyagintsev. – I long thought, without breaking self-imposed isolation, to do a live project with the idea which could unite people. The thought came to collect one large mural is a picture of the pieces, which then become part of a single large canvas. Some of the work people have done with the whole family. There are adult images, and quite children. And each reflects the personality of the author, the inner world of man. It turned out a portrait of the village.
a Puzzle brought together to may 20. Built in the usual sense of the word was. However, people not only direct participants of the action, but the rest of the locals (we in more than a hundred houses), came to the opening, each in their own time.
Many dress up. Long and carefully considered work of neighbors and how their pictures fit into the installation. Many through this project met with neighbors through art, because each work is signed, the authors ‘ names and address, – Marina continues.
For the most Zvyagintsev installation “Together!” was a continuation of the project “Zapretnye feelings”, which was supposed to open in the “Factory” in April, but was postponed because of the pandemic. It decoratinga the idea that virtual life is the simulacrum, which cannot replace real communication, now it has become obvious to everyone. However, the roots of this village art object goes to the other artist’s work. In 2009 Zvyagintsev began her multi-project “Sleeping area” through which showed that art lives not only in Moscow but also in the periphery. The exhibition, which wouldrepresented 70 unusual art bed different artists, was held on the fence at the metro station “Volga”. And later, the Marina has created a giant picture puzzle in the style of monotype, which people can assemble and disassemble themselves. In 2011, she was put on display in the school №109 (the famous “school of Yamburg”), and in 2017 – on “Winery” where the object already collected are not children, and adults. But with no less passion. Art requires contact, collaboration, engagement and artistic practice Zvyagintsev proves this fact. Man is a social creature, he needs to communicate, including through art.
– whether it is in the usual format in the new living conditions? After all, it is now clear that the world will be released from quarantine to others. As a pandemic will change the art, especially such contact as public art?
– Think public art will develop active, because people will walk less in a closed space, – says Marina. On the street people feel more freely, it is easier to keep your distance. But interactive objects will be less. More projects on which to watch, to unravel their meanings, not touching. They will become more popular. People do not want and will not be able to push in the Louvre near the Mona Lisa. The new context for public art will be in greater comfort zone than the art in the “white cube”. I think will become more popular such art objects as “Exit” (installation-raft, which was presented in the Tsaritsynsky pond, in the framework of the project “the Other Atmsophere” at the “Tsaritsyno” last summer – mm).
– you Can expect that museums will actively use their street territory and to enter public spaces?
– Definitely. I have been working with such projects, and I think now the idea is to go beyond the Museum’s walls is a logical and correct decision. The art has long gone beyond the canvas, crossed over with a plane in the volume, beginning to penetrate the daily lives of people. The idea of space, “white cube” is obsolete, although, of course, the usual exhibit will remain. But the Museum space will be more sparse.
What’s your forecast – how to change the culture after the pandemic?
– Art will be divided into two streams – online and live projects. The real art will be a new appreciated by people, overstayers home. Until recent events, modern man has looked to the work of two minutes, not more. People looked on a tangent. Now looking at will be more attentive. I think I want to. Once in the vacuum, alone, we have focused on their internal world, and because we want to take a closer look at the stranger.
Open project “Together!” was held in new condition.the process and new rules. Without speeches, tours, mass hype. In the future the presentation of exhibitions in the world, too, will change, become more closed?
It was the opening without opening, Yes. But people need to communicate. After the quarantine, all in the village are determined to make the occasion and to hold a mass event, about the art object. People need rituals. I think in the future there will be more discoveries of closed – lists. Can be the art institutions will hold several presentations, not to create a swap meet. Perhaps the exhibition will be open for a longer period, so that everybody could see. But to abandon the opening day impossible. People need joint experience. Now in this project I give this experience. It was more necessary than I thought: more and more people want to become participants. So we will continue to create our art puzzle.
